Merge Up Slot Review
Free demo, RTP, volatility and max win
8.7Value score · Very good · how it works
Merge Up review: BGaming's 2023 cascade slot where gems merge into higher levels, with sticky cell multipliers up to x128, at 97.25% RTP.
- #2by value of 241 slots from 2023
- #53by RTP of 3,708 slots
- #58by value of 3,708 slots
Play Merge Up free: demo, no sign-up
Free play money from BGaming's official demo. 18+. No deposit and no account; a demo does not predict real results.
Basic information
| Software | BGaming |
|---|---|
| Release year | 2023 |
| RTP | 97.25% |
| Volatility | Very high |
| Max win | Not published |
| Hit frequency | Not published |
| Features | Bonus buy, Cascading reels, Free spins |
| Game type | Slot |
| Data verified | 2026-09-28 |
Source: BGaming game page; RTP database by toolsgambling.com (CC BY 4.0); image: BGaming promotional image from the official game page. How we collect data · Report a mistake
Merge Up review
Gems in this BGaming cascade slot do not simply vanish when they win. According to the studio, symbols of different levels form clusters and merge upward into higher-value symbols, which can merge again in a chain. Reach the top level and the chain ends in a scatter. The free spins then add sticky cell multipliers. Two numbers frame everything else: a 97.25% RTP and a Very high volatility label.
How the merging works
Wins here come from clusters of matching gems. A cluster pays, and then the gems in it merge into a symbol of the next level up. That upgraded symbol pays in its own right and can merge again if it meets a new cluster. The studio describes the result as a chain reaction, with rewards that arrive at a steady but carefully timed pace.
The ladder has a ceiling. Once the merging reaches the highest symbols, the outcome is a scatter. A scatter can also simply drop onto the reels without any merge behind it, so there are two routes to the bonus.
Free spins and the cell multipliers
Four or more scatters start the free spins round. This is where the multiplier mechanic lives. Winning clusters mark cells with a multiplier, and a cell grows each time a matching combination lands on it again, up to x128. The multipliers are sticky, so they stay in place and boost the wins that come after them.
Because the multipliers build on repeat hits to the same cells, a long round can look very different from a short one. A few early clusters in the right spots set up later spins; a dry stretch leaves the grid mostly plain.
Scatter
Formed when the merge chain reaches the highest symbols, or dropped directly onto the reels. Four or more scatters trigger the free spins round. The studio's page does not list the number of spins awarded, so this review does not state one.
Cell multipliers
Active in the free spins round. Winning clusters generate sticky multipliers on their cells that climb to x128 with each repeated matching combination, boosting every later win that touches them.
Optional bet modes
Two switches change how the bonus is reached. Both are optional and both involve paying more per spin or per purchase.
Chance x2
Available in the main game. It raises the bet slightly and gives more chances to land the free spins. It switches off while Buy Bonus is active.
Buy Bonus
Lets you start the free spins round directly by paying the price shown on the button. The price adjusts automatically when the bet changes.
The numbers behind the gems
Merge Up has a single RTP on record, 97.25%, which leaves a house edge of 2.75%. Over a long run that means about $27.50 lost for every $1,000 wagered.
Short sessions look like this on average: 100 spins at $0.20 cost about $0.55, 100 spins at $1 cost $2.75, and 100 spins at $5, which is $500 wagered, cost $13.75. Those are averages, and a Very high volatility rating means real sessions can land far from them in either direction.
Our catalogue does not publish a max win for this game. The studio's own page says the maximum multiplier is x5,000 of the bet, and we pass that on as BGaming's statement rather than catalogue data.
Sequel and neighbours
The only sequel on record is Merge Up 2 from 2025, listed at 97% RTP and also rated Very high.
Several 2023 games share the same Very high label with RTPs close to this one: Gemhalla, Gemza, Gemza X - mas and Tramp Day at 97.17%, and Savage Buffalo Spirit and Wild Chicago at 97.1%. Merge Up's 97.25% sits just above all of them.
Pros
- 97.25% RTP, a 2.75% house edge
- Sticky cell multipliers reach x128 in the free spins
- Two routes to the bonus: merged top-level symbols or a plain scatter drop
- Free official demo available
Cons
- Very high volatility means results swing widely from the average
- No max win in our catalogue; the x5,000 figure comes only from the studio
- The studio page does not list the free spin counts
Verdict
Merge Up turns the cascade slot into a ladder of upgrades, then rewards the bonus with sticky multipliers up to x128. The 97.25% RTP is a comfortable figure and the volatility is Very high, so the numbers describe a game of long quiet stretches and occasional big moments. Treat it as paid entertainment with a 2.75% house edge, and try the free demo first to see whether the merging pace suits you.
Sources: BGaming official game page; RTP, volatility and max win from the open Slot RTP Database.
Merge Up series
1 other game of the same franchise by BGaming, oldest first.
Slots like Merge Up
Merge Up RTP
The data lists one RTP for Merge Up. Versions are not tracked for BGaming games, so other versions may exist; check the game's info screen.
- 97.25% $27.50 lost per $1,000
Cost of 100 spins
| Bet | Wagered | Average cost at 97.25% |
|---|---|---|
| $0.20 | $20 | $0.55 |
| $1 | $100 | $2.75 |
| $5 | $500 | $13.75 |
Averages computed from the published RTP; real sessions vary widely around them. RTP calculator
Merge Up max win, volatility & stats
- Value score
- 8.7 / 10
- Lost per $1,000 (average)
- $27.50
- Max win at $1 bet
- –
- Wins on average
- –
Percentiles compare this game with the 3,708 games in the catalogue. Max win: not published.
